Jhabvala’s portrayal of the the impact of India on the thinking of the British in particular extended to Europe in general

on the influence of India on the European consciousness and character

one in which the European is not accustomed to live so that by immersion in it he becomes debilitated, or even (like Olivia) destroyed

she always remained for him an opponent, even sometimes an enemy, to be guarded and if necessary fought against from without and, especially, from within: from within one’s own being

one has to be very determined to withstand — to stand upto — India

It is a book that touches upon multitude of themes in a complex setting of a completely bygone era and that in itself lies the strongest appeal of this wonderful book.